Posts Tagged ‘NBA Draft’

May 18, 2016 · 9:26 AM ET

ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — The NBA Draft Lottery was held last night here in New York City, and it was an event where people tried to have some sort of influence over something that is beyond influencing. And while several teams were represented on the dais by front office members or ownership, a few teams sent players to wear their colors. Devin Booker was there for Phoenix, for example, just as Willie Cauley-Stein repped for the Kings. The Celtics sent All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas, and Celtics.com put together an all-access look at Thomas’s evening…

June 25, 2015 · 11:10 AM ET

ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — There is one, and maybe only one thing, every person selected in tonight’s NBA Draft will have in common: As their name is announced and they walk to the stage, they will be given a cap with their new team’s logo. It’s the first moment they wear their team’s gear, and it’s the first time they’re photographed with their new logo. But they aren’t he only ones who can rock their team gear: The new Draft caps are available now at NBAStore.com, NBA Store on Fifth Ave, LIDS & the Nets Shop by adidas at Barclays Center for $27.95 (adult) and $23.95 (youth).

2015 NBA Draft Caps features include:
· Pique mesh crown and white visor
· Team logo or name on underside
· Team name featured on front and team name across back
· Snap-back style cap with closure
· NBA and adidas logos embroidered on sides
· 2015 Official Draft Cap sticker

June 26, 2014 · 10:45 AM ET

Welcome to Throwback Thursday here on the All Ball Blog. Each week, we’ll delve into the NBA’s photo archives and uncover a topic and some great images from way back when. Hit us up here if you have suggestions for a future TBT on All Ball.

Today’s Topic: Last 25 No. 1 Picks

Draft day is finally here as 60-plus basketball players anxiously await the beginning of their NBA careers.

To celebrate, this Throwback Thursday we look back at the last 25 players to be selected with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft.

(NOTE:Click the “caption” icon below the photo for details about each moment.)

June 26, 2013 · 7:15 PM ET

NEW YORK CITY — It was one of those fall mornings that made all the aggravation that comes with living in New York City completely worth it. Even by the time I rolled out of bed, right around 9:00 AM, the sun was high in the cloudless sky, and a cool breeze promised to stick around through the evening. My girlfriend and I were making breakfast, and making plans for the days and weeks ahead, and then everything changed forever.

The day was September 11, 2001, and what happened that day was the single largest terrorist attack on American soil. I lived through it, and I still remember the raw emotions, the way people on the street looked at each other, the way a smell of burned wreckage lingered in the city for weeks after the attack.

The experience is something that affected all of us in different ways. For me, initially there was confusion — trying to get a grip on what was happening around us. Then there was fear — wondering if other parts of the city were safe. Then there was sadness — processing the massive loss of life. There was anger, and there was resilience, and… well, there were about a million other emotions, and they came and went without warning.

In the years that followed, Ground Zero became a place that visitors to New York felt compelled to go and see, both to pay their respects and, for younger people, to learn about what happened. A few hours ago, the players in town for tomorrow’s NBA Draft paid a visit to the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum. The players were all children when the attacks occurred, and as far as I could gather, this was the first time they’d been able to visit Ground Zero.

NBA Cares set up today’s visit in conjunction with Tuesday’s Children, a non-profit organization that “has made a long-term commitment to meet the needs of every individual impacted by the events of September 11, 2001.”

The players wandered the memorial plaza in today’s blazing sun, walking around each of the memorial pools. It was mostly quiet, as people on site respectfully looked at the names of all the victims ringing the pools and reflected on all that the memorial represented. The visit was also educational, as the players weren’t old enough at the time of the attack to fully remember the experience of living through 9/11.

“I remember being right in front of the TV set,” said Kentucky C Nerlens Noel. “I forget what I was watching, but it just took over every channel. It was really an emotional time, and I was young and was not really sure what was going on. I’m grateful to be here. To see all the names here, it makes you cherish life, and be thankful and not take things for granted.” (more…)

June 26, 2013 · 6:29 PM ET

By Brandon Paul, for NBA.com

Getting in some work just before Draft night. (Courtesy Brandon Paul)

Wow, this experience has been unbelievable! Thought I was done and then I got calls from the Bulls for a second workout, that was great! Always grown up a Bulls fan, and my mentor, Dickey Simpkins, won 3 NBA Championships with them. I met him my freshman year of high school and that’s when the very first Team NLP (AAU Program) was created. Those were some of the funniest times when I was younger. Playing for the Bulls would be a dream come true, but wherever I end up, I would be completely grateful.

Such a humbling experience. I’m not sure where I will end up, but I am excited about all of the opportunities that were presented to me since this whole thing started, and the ones ahead. I’ve been to Chicago for the NBA Combine, and then both group workouts at Brooklyn & Minnesota. I’ve also worked out for the Spurs, Pistons, Bulls (twice), Thunder, Knicks, Trailblazers, Suns, Rockets, Clippers, Jazz, Timberwolves & now the 76ers! This is, wow! Truly blessed for these opportunities.

The draft is right around the corner, I’m not sure what’s going to be going through my head. I’m going to have a couple friends over to watch the draft with me along with my family. Or maybe I’ll freak out and make everybody watch it somewhere else while I watch it alone…I don’t even know! This is pretty nerve racking, but whatever happens, it’s in Gods hands. He has put me in a position to be successful and I have Faith that I’ll end up in the right spot! Until then…

June 26, 2013 · 10:30 AM ET

by The NBA.com Style Crew

The NBA Draft is a life-changing event, and many players dream about the chance to walk across the stage after hearing their names called. While the memories will stay with them forever, so will their fashion statements. Some players stick to the basics, while others rock styles that are talked about for years after.

As the NBA gears up for the 2013 Draft presented by State Farm, let’s take a look at the Top 12 picks from 2012. While their games eventually did the talking during their rookie campaigns, it was their style on Draft night that made the first statement. As always, keep up with the conversation using #NBAStyle.

June 12, 2013 · 11:04 AM ET

ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — It’s nearly that time again, when a bunch of NBA-bound players gather in NYC and are given…hats! Well, sure, they’re also told which team they’re going to play with for the rest of their careers, but certainly the hats are a big part of the process. They have to get the hat on correctly, get it sized right, and perhaps give them brim a flex or two lest it look too stiff. There’s a lot to figure out in a short amount a time, and they get to wear a piece of fashion that they will be photographed in for all eternity.

This year’s caps from adidas will feature “NBA team names in raised, embroidered font, stitching on all seams, as well as tonal impact camo, team logos on the underside of the brim, and the NBA Logoman embroidered on the back. Each brim also features a silver and black reflective sticker to commemorate the 30 NBA Drafts orchestrated by NBA Commissioner David Stern.”

The 2013 NBA Draft will take place on June 27 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York and official 2013 adidas NBA Draft Hats for all 30 teams will be available on NBAStore.com, Champs Sports, and other sports retailers for $28.

May 22, 2013 · 10:16 AM ET

ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — Last night in New York City, a handful of NBA franchises looking for a little luck gathered in Times Square to try and beat the odds. That’s right, it’s the annual NBA Draft lottery, where the best of the worst vie for the first pick in the NBA Draft. I showed up and brought my cell phone camera along with me to see what went down behind the scenes.

Let’s get to the pictures …

I arrived in Times Square right around 6:30 p.m. and fought my way over to the ABC Studios, where they shoot “Good Day America” or “Today This Morning” or whatever they call it — one of those morning shows that airs when I’m still asleep. There’s never really a good time to be in Times Square, because it is consistently crowded and busy and bustling, but 6:30 p.m. must be just about the worst time. Add in that it was humid and in the mid-80s today, and Times Square felt a bit like being stuck in a mosh pit. Or at the bottom of a mosh pit. (more…)

June 24, 2011 · 5:25 PM ET

by Micah Hart

Though there were a flurry of minor trades throughout most of last night’s Draft proceedings, there wasn’t a whole lot that made the night particularly memorable. Perhaps one day we’ll look back on some of the picks or deals and discuss how earth-shattering they turned out to be, but for now, very little really stands out.

In fact the major event that continues to garner the most attention from the evening was the immediate aftermath of the Washington Wizards selecting Jan Vesely with the No. 6 overall pick, after which Vesely excitedly planted one on his girlfriend Eva.